Nappies In The Heart Of The Ghetto?

**tarita.jones** · 05-22-2008, 07:57 PM

Okay, nobody attack me lol. I was just wondering something. Here in Chicago we have an interesting dynamic when it comes to when and where you'll see people with natural hair. It's like, there are certain neighborhoods that are either artsy, eclectic or extremely diverse and that is where the majority of the nappies live and hang. I live in Oak Park, a very diverse and artsy suburb of Chicago, about 80% Caucasian and 20% everything else. It's actually not really a suburb either because Chicago is literally right across the street in some areas. You can travel from one end of the town to another in 20 mins. Anyway, lots of nappies live there. Then there's Hype Park, which is a neighborhood...same deal except maaaany more black people and most are nappies. I could name several more neighborhoods. In these neighborhoods you'll find beautiful, successful, educated black people at every turn - who all have naturals!

Why is it that when Itravel to the hood I don't see any nappy heads? If I do, it's weave or kinky twists. Does it have something to do with education or socioeconomic status or lack of consciousness? When I go to the hood I get more stares than anywhere cause people are like, why she ain't got her hair done? Does anyone else find this to be true in their town?

Edited to say: and no, I'm not saying that people in the hood automatically lack education, etc, etc, etc.

**scifisupergal** · 05-22-2008, 08:09 PM

Money,power, respect that's the key to life...

**CLAWZGALAW** · 06-01-2008, 02:45 PM

Money,power, respect that's the key to life...

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TRUE STORY![/b]

**asm07** · 05-22-2008, 08:18 PM

Ive noticed that too. I'm in ny right now. i live in a part of the bronx that is all black and latino and pretty impoverished. I have yet to see a girl rock the fro or even a puff/ pony puff besides myself. i will admit braids and cornrows are popular but usually with straight extensions or paired with straight bangs or ponytail. on the other hand i was out in park slope, brooklyn the other day and it was a nappy parade. i'm not sure about the racial make up of park slope but i know it is in a higher economic class than where i stay.
whats interesting is that i see a ton of guys wearing pony puffs, fros, cornrows, locs, braids...every nappy style imaginable in poorer neighborhoods but aside from locs longer hair on black men is super rare.

**BrnNappyGrl** · 05-22-2008, 08:20 PM

I'm in Chicago and I guess you could say that some of my family are from the Heart o' the Hood. Whenever I visit (which is pretty infrequently now), I always see heads and heads full of kinky twists, micros, weave, tracks, Kool Aid colors and the like. That just is the way it is.

I think that the reason you don't see more nappies in the Hood is because a lot of these brothers and sisters have not reached that point of enlightenment yet. Most of them are just going along with the status quo because it's hard to be perceived as different from your friends. (See all of the horror stories on this board)

Another reason is because lots of them don't have at home internet access and so they may not realize that there are resources like NP and Motown Girl around. Nappy hair is still a source of contention in our community as a whole, so what makes you think that people are going to want to embrace something that they have always been taught needs to be fixed?

That's not to say that there aren't lots of pople who aren't at least curious about going natural. There may be, but unless and until they have the tools that they need (and the support), you will continue to be hard pressed to find any Nappies in tha Hood.

**MizBrowniMD** · 05-22-2008, 08:29 PM

I'm in Chicago and I guess you could say that some of my family are from the Heart o' the Hood. Whenever I visit (which is pretty infrequently now), I always see heads and heads full of kinky twists, micros, weave, tracks, Kool Aid colors and the like. That just is the way it is.

I think that the reason you don't see more nappies in the Hood is because a lot of these brothers and sisters have not reached that point of enlightenment yet. Most of them are just going along with the status quo because it's hard to be perceived as different from your friends. (See all of the horror stories on this board)

Another reason is because lots of them don't have at home internet access and so they may not realize that there are resources like NP and Motown Girl around. Nappy hair is still a source of contention in our community as a whole, so what makes you think that people are going to want to embrace something that they have always been taught needs to be fixed?

That's not to say that there aren't lots of pople who aren't at least curious about going natural. There may be, but unless and until they have the tools that they need (and the support), you will continue to be hard pressed to find any Nappies in tha Hood.
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^^^Amen to this. Prime example--I had a mother bring her 4 year old daughter (my patient for the day) in because she had an eczema flair-up. The resident (my "superior") with me was E. Indian. The cute little girl had some cornrow extensions in her head that were cute, had plastic beads halfway up each braid, but waaaay too tight. My resident was telling the mother that her daughter's hair was too tight, and that she needed to come up with a different style. The mother was baffled--she didn't know what to do with her daughter's hair because it was "soooo short and coming out around the edges." Gee. I wonder why. <_<
Long story short, I counseled the momma (a single working parent of two, living in the "hood" of Detroit), who was rocking p.er.m and an effed up weave, about natural hair care. I told her about NP and Motown Girl's page. She actually thanked me and said that she didn't have Internet at home, but would make a special effort to log on at work.

**Lady FT** · 05-22-2008, 08:38 PM

Long story short, I counseled the momma (a single working parent of two, living in the "hood" of Detroit), who was rocking p.er.m and an effed up weave, about natural hair care. I told her about NP and Motown Girl's page. She actually thanked me and said that she didn't have Internet at home, but would make a special effort to log on at work.
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Now that was really good bedside manner! Kudos on taking the time to talk to the mother. :wub:

**Amadeo** · 05-22-2008, 08:22 PM

I actually see more thugged out dudes with locks...and not the salon joints either. Actually I've seen more of them with nappy fros, braids or whatever. More women with locks as well. Amongst the professional set it's either more of a split or the natural cats are in the minority.

**CeSoul** · 05-26-2008, 06:05 PM

I actually see more thugged out dudes with locks...and not the salon joints either. Actually I've seen more of them with nappy fros, braids or whatever. More women with locks as well. Amongst the professional set it's either more of a split or the natural cats are in the minority.
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I see that divide as well. When i rock some twists then visit my little brother his friends with locs and they see that I'm not wearing:
A) A Long White Tee Shirt
B) Old bottle caps in my hair
C) My pants so low that I have to have my a hand in my pocket to keep them up.
They write me up as someone that they don't wanna associate themselves with.
Why is there a divide between male naturals within the black communitity?

**Big Teezy** · 05-22-2008, 08:23 PM

When I go to the hood I get more stares than anywhere cause people are like, why she ain't got her hair done?[/b]

Are people saying this too you?
I live in Petersburg, VA and some folks around where I live call this city the hood. I call it the country. Maybe that means the same thing I dont know and I dont care. But anyway a lot of people here have locs. I even see a lot of TWA's. So in my life I dont think it has anything to do with education or economic status. I really dont know why.